Logitech New Product Launch

Logitech has a whole host of new products. So if you're stuck for a Christmas present idea, you might find something here.

Yesterday Logitech announced a wide range of new products to the UK media at an event in London. TrustedReviews was of course there to see Logitech’s new array of goodies ready for the Christmas rush.

”’Pocket Video 750/550”’

The number one Christmas present has to be one of Logitech’s new Pocket Video cameras. Both models capture MPEG4 video at 20 fps with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels (also known as QVGA). Both models also feature 16MB of integrated memory and a SD memory card slot. The claimed battery life of both cameras is two hours continuous use. Movies can be transferred to a PC via USB and both models also feature TV-out for direct to TV viewing.

The high-end version is the Pocket Video 750 which comes supplied with a 32MB SD memory card. Logitech claims that you can store one hour of video on a 128MB SD card. The Pocket Video 750 also features a fold out 1.5in colour LCD display, which is used as viewfinder and to adjust any settings. There’s even a 2x optical zoom to get a bit closer to the action, while a rechargeable battery pack should keep it ready to record at all times. The Pocket Video 750 measures 121 x 86 x 37mm (WxHxD) and weighs 262grams. With an SRP of only £199.99 this could prove to be a popular stocking filler.

Its little brother, the Pocket Video 550 features a standard optical viewfinder and a small LCD that displays the settings. Power is supplied by two AA batteries and doesn’t come with a memory card. It’s slightly smaller than the 750 at 124 x 55 x 19mm (WxDxH) and weighs a mere 131grams. With a slightly lower SRP of £149.99 the 550 could attract the budget conscious gadget fiend.

Both cameras are supplied with Logitech software for transferring video to a PC as well as a copy of Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator LE.

”’QuickCam Sphere”’

Next up is another video product, the new QuickCam Sphere, which could well be the coolest webcam ever. One of the coolest features of the QuickCam Sphere is the mechanical pan and tilt mechanism. This is something that professional video conferencing systems have been equipped with for quite some time, but until now it has been quite a costly solution. The pan and tilt feature moves the lens of the camera without physically moving the camera. More sophisticated systems also offer head tracking, which means that the camera locks on to a persons head and follows it around the room when the person moves around.

Logitech has simplified the whole concept, but the QuickCam Sphere still offers head tracking, albeit a much more basic version. This means that you will always be in focus, even if you move away from the camera. The QuickCam Sphere can turn 140 degrees side to side, which equals to a 180 degree field of view. It can also move 60 degrees up and down.

Another great feature is the stand, which includes an attachment that raises the camera to eye level. The camera itself sports resolutions up to 640 x 480 and can capture still images up to 1,280 x 1,024. There’s also 3x digital Zoom for those close ups. Unusually the QuickCam Sphere features a CCD rather than a CMOS sensor. It’s also compatible with Mac OS X, which is good news for all the Apple users out there. The SRP of the QuickCam Sphere is £99.99.